New group led by Jim Mowrer would weaken Iowans’ voice in presidential elections

(DES MOINES) – Priorities for Iowa, Inc., a nonpartisan 501c4 issue advocacy group, today is calling on Iowans to tell Jim Mowrer that his new group, The Majority Rules PAC, which will call for a national popular vote to determine the presidency, is ill-conceived and will lessen Iowans’ voice in elections.

encourage states to adopt a compact that would circumvent the Electoral College in future presidential elections. The PAC, Majority Rules, will back candidates for office and ballot initiatives intended to support states’ adoption of the so-called “National Popular Vote” initiative, which has already been adopted in 10 states.”

Jimmy Centers, Priorities for Iowa, Inc. executive director called Mowrer’s plan a disaster for Iowans who want their voices heard.

“Jim Mowrer’s plan to eliminate the Electoral College would be devastating to Iowans as presidential candidates would simply look at Iowa and the Midwest as flyover country,” Centers said. “With Mowrer’s plan, presidential candidates could ignore Iowans and their positions on issues that are important to their families. Instead, those presidential candidates would simply campaign and cater to east and west coast voters. Iowans need to tell Jim Mowrer just how harmful this would be to our state.”

Hans Hassell, a professor at Cornell College told the Gazette that the Electoral College, “[P]revents large states like California from running roughshod over the interests of smaller states like Iowa or Wyoming It makes presidential candidates more likely to campaign in Iowa. If that wasn’t the case, they would spent [sic] all their time in New York City and in California and in Texas. The Electoral College really provides an option for us in Iowa to make a difference. And, as an Iowan, I think that’s important.”